Capstan type winch cover

ABSTRACT

A cover for a capstan type winch comprises a blind tie-down cord which encircles the spool of the winch and threads through ears extending inwardly from the inner wall of the cover. The cord acts to hold the cover in place when tensioned and tied. A series of axially disposed ribs extending inwardly from the cover wall near the top yieldably engage the spool at the top and accommodate the cover for use with winches of different sizes.

United States Patent LeCompte 154] CAPSTAN TYPE WINCH COVER [72] Inventor: Frank M. LeCompte, Watchung,

[73] Assignee: Tingley Rubber Corporation, South Plainfield, NJ.

[22] Filed: Aug. 18, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 172,724

152] US. Cl. ..l50/52 R, 150/11 [51 Int. Cl. ..B65d 65/02 [58} Field of Search ..150/52 R, 15, 11; 229/63 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,218,244 3/1917 Donavan ..l50/52R 2,005,531 6/1935 Brandstein ..150/52 R 2,035,384 3/1936 Hinchliff.....

[451 Dec. 5, 1972 2,115,654 4/1938 Swofford ..l50/52 R 2,186,384 1/1940 Lester 2,812,900 11/1957 Matthews ..150/52 R X Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-Stephen P. Garbe Attorney-Luther E. Morrison et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A cover for a capstan type winch comprises a blind tie-down cord which encircles the spool of the winch and threads through ears extending inwardly from the inner wall of the cover. The cord acts to hold the cover in place when tensioned and tied. A series of axially disposed ribs extending inwardly from the cover wall near the top yieldably engage the spool at the top and accommodate the cover for use with winches of different sizes.

9 Clair'ns, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDuEc 5 m2 3,704,738

INV

M ji /2,04 mm CAPSTAN TYPE WINCH COVER BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The invention relates to a cover for protecting a capstan type winch suitable for marine use from harmful effects of weather when the winch is not in use. Such a winch includes usually a circular base and a spool coaxially disposed above the'base. The spool is formed with upper and lower portions of larger diameter and an intermediate body portion of smaller diameter interconnecting the top and bottom portions. In use, a line through which force is to be applied is wrapped around the spool. The spool is rotatable and acts through the bight of the line wrapped around it to tension the line and apply the force.

A winch of the type just described may, by way of example, be located on the deck ofa sailboat in a position of exposure to all kinds of weather. When the boat is at anchor it is desirable to cover the winch for protection from the weather. This may be accomplished by a cover which, in accordance with the invention is molded of resilient flexible material in aform entirely to cover the winch. The cover is readily fitted in place where it is anchored securely by means including a series of ears cooperating with a blind tiedown cord attached to the ears, such means because of the blind arrangement, being itself protected from the weather. Yieldable and axially extending ribs on the inside of the cover near the top accommodates the cover for winches of different sizes.

DRAWINGS A better understanding of the invention may be had from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cover equipped with the present improvements and shown in position on a sailboat;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view on a larger scale of the cover shown in FIG. 1 during its application to a capstan type winch; and

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-section through the axis of the winch taken on line 33 of FIG. 1 but on a still larger scale.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION A capstan type winch adapted to be protected by the improved cover includes a circular disc type base 10, shown fixed on a sailboat deck and, for reference purposes only, on a vertical axis. The winch further includes a spool shaped member 11 mounted coaxially with the base and rotatable about said axis by appropriate means not shown. The spool has a larger circular bottom portion 12 arranged just above base 10, a top circular portion 13 parallel with the bottom portion and of slightly smaller diameter, and an intermediate cylindrical portion 14 of diameter smaller than either top or bottom portions. A frustro-conical surface 15 which flairs outwardly from the bottom of cylindrical portion 14 to the peripheral edge of bottom circular portion 12 and a similar frustro-conical surface 16 which flairs outwardly from the top of said cylindrical portion to the peripherical edge of the top portion 13 act to confine the loops or bight of a sheet encircling the spool in the vicinity of said intermediate cylindrical portion. This completes the description of the winch structure per se insofar as is needed to understand the invention.

The improved cover comprises a relatively flat circular top portion 17 and a skirt or sidewall portion 18 connected to the top portion all around its circular peripheral edge and as an integral part thereof. The sidewall portion 18 extends downwardly with slight flare to accommodate the slightly larger base portion 10 of the capstan spool as compared to the top portion, and terminates at its lower edge in a circular rim or band 19 whose dimensions and resiliency provide a snug relatively weather tight fit with the base of the capstan.

Internally of the cover and spaced a relatively short distance from and in a position parallel with the top thereof, is an annular rib 20 connected at its outer edge integrally with the wall 18 of the cover and which extends radially inwardly to present a circular inner edge having a diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the top portion 13 of the capstan spool. A series of vertically disposed ribs 21, (six by way of example) extend between'the upper face of the annular rib and the underface of the top portion 17 of the cover. The ribs are preferably spaced at intervals evenly around the cover and molded integrally with the top and sidewall portions of the cover and with the annular rib 20. The ribs at their inner edges terminate adjacent the inner edge of annular rib 20. According to the arrangement just described, as the cover is placed over the capstan, the annular and the vertical ribs being formed of a resilient or elastic material, yield to permit the cover to be pulled down into a position with the under surface of the cover in engagement with the surface of the top portion 13 of the capstan spool. During this operation, the annular rib stretches to pass over the capstan top and retracts to engage beneath such top because of the smaller internal dimensions of annular rib 20. The vertical ribs 21, however, because the pitch line diameter of their inner vertical edges is less than the peripheral diameter of the top portion of the spool, maintains a pressure due to resiliency on the capstan spool thus helping to hold the cover against turning relatively to the capstan. The yieldingnature of the ribs 20 and 21 permits the cover to accommodate itself to winches of different diameter sizes.

The cover is held against unintentional removal from the capstan by a blind tie-down device. To this end, the cover is equipped with a plurality of vertical ears 22 molded integrally with the cover and extending inwardly from the inner surface thereof at intervals preferably spaced about In a vertical direction, ears 22 are located in the region of the recessed portion 14 of the spooland are formed with eyelets 23 through which there is threaded a tie-down cord 24 that encircles the spool. After the cover is placed in position with the annular and vertical ribs appropriately located in position, the lower portion of the sidewall which may be regarded as a skirt is temporarily folded outwardly and upwardly to expose the inwardly extending ears 22 (FIG. 2). This enables the tie-down cord to be pulled tightly and the ends tied as at 25 after which the sidewalls are folded down again to a normal position in which the rim portion 19 near the lower edge of the cover engages against the capstan base. In this position,

the cover is held against unintentional removal by the action of the tie-down cord. The skirt is folded back up again to give access to the tie-down cord when removal of the cover is desired. V

The cover, except for the tie-down cord is an integral structure molded of a flexible and resilient or elastic material having instant memory to permit the improved cover to function in the manner described. The preferred material is natural or synthetic rubber or such of the plastic materials that can function like" spool and terminating in a bottom edge portion for engaging the winch around its base, means secured to and extending inwardly from said wall portion above the bottom edge thereof and in the region of the intermediate recessed portion of the spool when the cover is in place, and devices associated with said means to attach thereto a tie-down cord encircling the spool; said means, when tension is exerted on the tie-down cord, acting to pull inwardly on said wall to hold the cover against unintentional removal from the winch.

2. A cover according to claim 1 wherein the means through which the tie-down cord pulls inwardly on the wall includes a series of cars extending radially inwardly from thewall and spaced around the axis of said cover, and wherein said devices include an eyelet associated with each of said ears through which the tiedown cord is threaded.

3. A cover according to claim 1 wherein means are provided internally of the wall and adjacent the top of the cover resiliency to engage the spool of the winch adjacent the periphery of the top portion thereof.

4. A cover according to claim 3 wherein the means for resiliently engaging the spool includes an annular rib associated with and extending inwardly from the wall of the cover.

5. A cover according to claim 3 wherein the means for resiliently engaging the spool includes a series of vertically disposed ribs yieldable to accommodate the cover for use with spools of different sizes.

6. A cover according to claim 5 wherein the vertically disposed ribs engage the spool of the winch along an edge directed inwardly, and wherein the other edges of the ribs are connected integrally with the top, sidewall, and annular rib portions of the cover.

7. A cover according to claim 6 wherein the top portion, sidewall portion, radially inwardly extending ears, vertically disposed ribs, and inwardly extending annular rib, are integrally molded as a unit.

8. A cover according to claim 2 wherein the lower portion of the sidewall is foldable outwardly and reversely upwardly giving access to the ears for tying and untying the tie-down cord. 1

9. A cover according to claim 1 molded from material selected from the group consisting of elastic rubber, elastic synthetlc rub er, and plastic material having 

1. A cover for a capstan type winch having a base and coaxial spool with intermediate recessed portion of one diameter and top portion of larger diameter, said cover comprising a circular top portion coextensive at least with the top portion of the winch, a wall portion for encircling the winch and connected to said top portion all around the peripheral edge thereof, said wall portion extending axially downwardly to encase the spool and terminating in a bottom edge portion for engaging the winch around its base, means secured to and extending inwardly from said wall portion above the bottom edge thereof and in the region of the intermediate recessed portion of the spool when the cover is in place, and devices associated with said means to attach thereto a tie-down cord encircling the spool; said means, when tension is exerted on the tie-down cord, acting to pull inwardly on said wall to hold the cover against unintentional removal from the winch.
 2. A cover according to claim 1 wherein the means through which the tie-down cord pulls inwardly on the wall includes a series of ears extending radially inwardly from the wall and spaced around the axis of said cover, and wherein said devices include an eyelet associated with each of said ears through which the tie-down cord is threaded.
 3. A cover according to claim 1 wherein means are provided internally of the wall and adjacent the top of the cover resiliency to engage the spool of the winch adjacent the periphery of the top portion thereof.
 4. A cover according to claim 3 wherein the means for resiliently engaging the spool includes an annular rib associated with and extending inwardly from the wall of the cover.
 5. A cover according to claim 3 wherein the means for resiliently engaging the spool includes a series of vertically disposed ribs yieldable to accommodate the cover for use with spools of different sizes.
 6. A cover according to claim 5 wherein the vertically disposed ribs engage the spool of the winch along an edge directed inwardly, and wherein the other edges of the ribs are connected integrally with the top, sidewall, and annular rib portions of the cover.
 7. A cover according to claim 6 wherein the top portion, sidewall portion, radially inwardly extending ears, vertically disposed ribs, and inwardly extending annular rib, are integrally molded as a unit.
 8. A cover according to claim 2 wherein the lower portion of the sidewall is foldable outwardly and reversely upwardly giving access to the ears for tying and untying the tie-down cord.
 9. A cover according to claim 1 molded from material selected from the group consisting of elastic rubber, elastic synthetic rubber, and plastic material having resiliency and a memory comparable to elastic rubber. 